Children bombard their baffled parents with more than 200 questions a week... and we don't know the answers to 61% of them, study finds
Inquisitive children ask their baffled parents an average of more than 200 questions every week and often leave them having to search online for answers, a survey has found.
The study found that the most asked questions involve Father Christmas, and include, ‘How old is Father Christmas?’ and ‘Who gives Santa presents?’
Other popular subjects included questions about animals which are asked by 47% of children, maths asked by 45% and spelling asked by 41%.
But the survey of more than 2,000 parents of children aged three to 12 in the UK, found that an incredible 61% were often asked questions they did not know the answer to.
More than half (51%) admitting to relying on online search engines to find the answers to some of their children’s most curious thoughts.
Made in Chelsea star Binky Felstead marked the launch of Echo Dot Kids by testing an Echo Dot Kids speaker with her four-year-old daughter India
Binky and India show how children can learn at home and stay entertained by asking questions
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The survey by OnePoll was commissioned by Amazon to coincide with the launch of its new Echo Dot Kids devices costing £59.99.
The voice controlled smart speakers in tiger or panda designs are the easiest way for children to get started with Amazon Kids on Alexa which has parental controls.
The service enables children to receive ‘kid-friendly’ answers to questions, as well as jokes, games and music, and the chance to message and call approved contacts.
It also includes a one-year family-plan subscription to Amazon Kids+
Amazon says that Echo Dot Kids allows children to ‘simply ask Alexa and spark a family conversation on their favourite subjects or even get help with their homework’.
Binky says she is a true advocate of using technology to get her daughter to learn
The survey found that 45% of children were prompted to ask questions by conversations they had overheard.
It also disclosed that 48% ask about what they had seen on TV and 53% were prompted by what they had been learning at school.
Parents taking part in the poll also revealed the funniest and most obscure questions asked by their children, including, ‘How many heads does a giraffe have?’, ‘If we go to Mars, will there be Mars Bars?’ and ‘What is the biggest number?.
Echo Dot Kids allows children to ask Alexa questions politely using The Magic Word feature - offering positive reinforcement when the word ‘please’ is used.
Children can also set fun character alarms and get help with their homework, as they unlock a world of age-appropriate content with Amazon Kids+, which provides access to Audible books, interactive games, and educational skills.
The survey also found that 81% of children polled claimed their parents were their heroes,
Celebrities following closely behind included Marcus Rashford who is seen as a hero by 32% of children, Captain Tom Moore (27%) and Greta Thunberg (21%).
Made in Chelsea star Binky Felstead marked the launch of Echo Dot Kids by testing an Echo Dot Kids speaker with her four-year-old daughter India to show how children can learn at home and stay entertained.
Binky said: ‘We use Alexa every day in our home and India loves her fun Panda designed Echo Dot Kids.
‘Whether it’s asking about unicorns, listening to a story or playing music. The Amazon Kids+ content keeps her entertained and if there are any questions I don’t know the answer to, I’ll see if Alexa does!’
She added, ‘I’m a true advocate of utilising technology to get India excited to learn at home, so this device has been the perfect addition to our learning routine as there’s a world of content, she can access with just her voice in a safe and secure environment built just for kids that I can control through the parent dashboard.’
Binky, pictured with her four-year-old India, said: ‘We use Alexa every day in our home and India loves her fun Panda designed Echo Dot Kids'
Amazon said it had ‘a longstanding commitment to preserve the trust of our customers and their families’.
A spokesperson added: ‘We have strict measures in place for Echo Dot Kids, Amazon Kids and Amazon Kids+ on Alexa to protect children, and provide parents with transparency and control over the experience.
‘This includes the Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard where parents can choose which services and skills kids can use, review activity and more. Voice purchasing is also disabled, as standard.
‘Parents can also turn the Echo Dot Kids’ microphone off on the device with one press of a button and will always know when Alexa is sending a request to Amazon’s secure cloud because a blue light indicator will appear on the device.’
The all-new Echo Dot Kids is available to buy now. For more information on the Amazon Kids+ content available visit the Amazon Kids+ website.
Amazon Kids and Amazon Kids+ on Alexa is available to enable via the Alexa app, to new and existing Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Plus devices, through an over-the-air software update.
Learn more about Amazon Kids and Amazon Kids+ at https://www.amazon.co.uk/ftu/home?ie=UTF8&*entries*=0&*Version*=1
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